Trout Fishing Report for Bennett Spring 9-7-21
How's Fishing?
Fishing continues to be very good. Moss is being cut this week. Plan on seeing a much improved stream this weekend. White floss jigs, as humble as they are, are a great choice at this point. Stripping cracklebacks, either black, silver, or bennett blue is also good. As the fall progresses, we will see more clarity and slower water. If you are new to the area, you may not realize how important the proper line or tippet is. In general, a soft green two pound line is the go to choice. Of course, in this, as in everything about fishing, there are differences of opinion. Talk to your friends or local shop owners and get the input you need. You can experience the differences for yourself and soon you will be the person giving gems of wisdom to the new kids.
Of Interest
The first weekend in November Stream Team #5462 will be holding a three day clean-up of the Bennett Spring. This year we will have two dive shops assisting us in this endeavor. James Presley will lead Diventures of Springfield in Zone 1 and Chris Heitman will lead Show-Me Scuba of Springfield in Zone 2 & 3. Our hope is to get a lot of fishing line, lures, etc. out of the Bennett Spring while other participants can clean the trash above and around the Spring. All are welcome to help! We made this a weekend event to allow for many participants as an end of the season family activity. If you know someone that wants to participate, there will be a daily sign-up sheet in the nature center from 10 am to 4 pm so that we may have record of all that attend for the purpose of Stream Team reporting. Participants can get gloves and trash bags at the nature center.
Patricia Chambers
417-532-3925
Water Conditions
Bennett Spring water levels for 9-13-21
Gage House water level is 2.05
Daily Discharge levels:
All discharge numbers are in Cubic Feet per Second
minimum was 66 in 1937
25th percentile is 98
Current level is 119
Median is 120
Mean is 122
75th percentile is 142
Max was 212 in 1930
https://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=06923500
Niangua River water levels for 9-13-21
Gage House reading (water level) is .79 feet
Discharge levels in cubic feet per second:
Minimum was 14 in 1996
25th percentile is 33
Median is 50
Today's reading is 51.3
75th percentile is 71
Mean is 123
record high max was 1000 in 1993
Lunker Club
9-7-21
Tracy Seabaugh from Gays, IL
2-1/8 pounds on a worm
Niangua River
Sheri Seabaugh from Gays. IL
2 pounds on a worm
Niangua River
9-10-21
Judy Schachner from O'Fallon, IL
2 pounds on a parachute pheasant tail
zone 1
9-11-21
Travis Toelke from Springfield, MO
2.5 pounds on a pink rubber worm
zone 3
Adam Eisenbath from Flint Hill MO
2 pounds on a red and black wooly
zone 1
Isaac Bohm from Huntsville, MO
2+ catch and release on a black crackleback
zone 2
9-12-21
Justin Still from KC MO
2 pounds on a jimi hendrix glo ball
zone 1
David Wiegand from O'Fallon, MO
2-1/4 pounds on a white wooly bugger
zone1
9-13-21
Tracy Leriche from O'Fallon, MO
2-1/4 pounds on orange power bait
zone 3
What's working?
From the Fly Case
cracklebacks: bennett blue, black, pearl, gold with furnace hackle
midge - zebra
Renegades
san juan worms - natural color
Zone 1 & 2
marabou: orange, red & black, gingersnap, black & yellow
white or cream mini jig
red and black or white wooly bugger
john deere mini jig
glo ball - jimi hendrix,
bedspread
Zone 3
live worms
power bait: orange
moss tube bait
pink power bait worms
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Bennett Tradition quilting
In commemoration of the Missouri bicentennial, Bennett Spring State Park will host a monthly program entitled Bennett Traditions. Each program will include a 20-minute presentation about a natural and/or historic topic that pertains to the area. The presentation will be followed by a 20-minute lesson from Karen Jaegers about quilting that relates back to the presentation topic. The event will conclude with a short question-and-answer session led by June Buckles of Buckles, Bobbins and Bolts quilt shop.
Dates, presentation topics, quilt block designs and quilting techniques are as follows:
Sept. 23 - Birds; flying geese block; choosing techniques (primitive vs. machine).
Oct. 28 - Trees; maple leaf block; binding techniques.
Registration is required and limited to 10 people. Each program will be recorded and posted online at a future date. To register or for more information, contact the Bennett Spring nature center at 417-532-3925.
PROGRAM TIME: 11 A.M.
THIRD ANNUAL AND MISSOURI BICENTENNIAL PICKING UP PAWPAWS CONTEST
9/15/2021 TO 9/25/2021 | BENNETT SPRING STATE PARK | LEBANON, MO
The pawpaw is our largest edible fruit. It can grow up to 6 inches long and is often compared to a banana with mango flavor. The fruit can be eaten raw or baked. Lewis and Clark were known to eat them on their expedition in 1806, Native Americans wove the inner bark into fibers for cloth, and pioneers used the inner bark for stringing fish. The pawpaw is also Missouri's state fruit tree.
Can you find the biggest pawpaw? Help celebrate this edible part of Missouri's history from Sept. 15 through Sept. 25. We invite you to search your own private pawpaw patch to find the biggest pawpaw you can. Bring it to the nature center at Bennett Spring State Park on the dates and times below to be officially entered into the contest. Peak ripening is in September.
Pawpaws will be weighed at the nature center Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pickers will provide their name and phone number along with the county in Missouri where the pawpaw was harvested. A photo will be taken of each picker with his or her pawpaw.
CONTEST DATES: SEPT. 15-25
WEIGH-IN TIMES: WEDNESDAY-SUNDAY, 10 A.M. TO 3 P.M.
September 25, 2021 Ladies Free Fishing at Bennett Spring State Park
7:30 AM - 7:15 PM
Holland Derby
The annual Holland Derby. Fishing derby for fundraising for The American Cancer Society. Derby runs two days - 9th and 10th. Tagged trout are released, they will win prizes if caught.
When: Saturday, October 9, 2021
Time: 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM
For additional information, please call 417-532-4418 or 417-532-7612.
November 6 &7
The first weekend in November Stream Team #5462 will be holding a three day clean-up of the Bennett Spring. This year we will have two dive shops assisting us in this endeavor. James Presley will lead Diventures of Springfield in Zone 1 and Chris Heitman will lead Show-Me Scuba of Springfield in Zone 2 & 3. Our hope is to get a lot of fishing line, lures, etc. out of the Bennett Spring while other participants can clean the trash above and around the Spring. All are welcome to help! We made this a weekend event to allow for many participants as an end of the season family activity. If you know someone that wants to participate, there will be a daily sign-up sheet in the nature center from 10 am to 4 pm so that we may have record of all that attend for the purpose of Stream Team reporting. Participants can get gloves and trash bags at the nature center.
Patricia Chambers
417-532-3925
There is a list at https://mostateparks.com/events/park/bennett-spring-state-park that gives all the details of other activities, such as hikes that are going on at Bennett Spring State Park throughout the year.
Events for 2022 - save the date.
April 23, 2022~ Veterans Free Fishing Day
FISHING HOURS
BEGIN
END
September
7:30 A.M.
7:15 P.M.
October
7:30 A.M.
6:30 P.M.
Quote of the Week
While baseball is among the sports (some might include golf here) that inspire a certain devotion, even fanaticism, fly-fishing leads its lovers into fundamental connections, inviting a slow dance with the whimsy of the natural world, a love affair with line and rhythm and simplicity. Angling delivers the wily spiritual satisfactions that come with giving yourself to something that offers only intangible payback.
Author:
Holly Morris
Thanks for reading,
Lucy